Question

Liquid wax similar to sperm whale oil obtained from

• A. Psphocarpus tetra gonoloba
• B. Simmondsia chinensis
• C. Parthenium argentatum
• D. Leucena leucocephala

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Jojoba is a shrub, which is native to the Sonoran, Mojave and Baja California deserts of Arizona, California, and Mexico and the southernmost portion of the California Floristic Province. It is the sole species of the family Simmondsiaceae, placed in the order Caryophyllales. Jojoba is grown commercially for its oil, a liquid wax ester, extracted from the seed. Jojoba is grown for the liquid wax (commonly called as jojoba oil) in its seeds. This oil is rare in that it's an extremely long straight-chain wax ester and not a triglyceride, making jojoba and its derivative jojoba esters more similar to human sebum and whale oil than to traditional vegetable oils. Thus, option B is correct.
Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is a relatively new commercial crop and the only species other than the Brazilian rubber tree. The plant can be used as an alternate source of latex that is also hypoallergenic, unlike the normal Hevea rubber. Thus, option C is wrong.
Leucaena leucocephala is a small, fast-growing mimosoid tree native to southern Mexico and northern Central America but is now naturalized throughout the tropics. Common names include white leadtree, jumbay, and white popinac. L. leucocephala is used for a variety of purposes, such as firewood, fiber and livestock fodder. Thus, option D is wrong.

Psphocarpus tetra gonoloba does not produce wax. Thus, option A is wrong.

Therefore, the correct answer is option B.